If you're going to look, look for someone important.
He scanned the entire base.
At the top level of the base, Blaine found a man in a military uniform—a "general"—currently bored out of his mind, playing golf in his office.
It was obvious that this man was the base's highest-ranking commander.
You're the one.
A faint smile appeared unconsciously at the corner of Blaine's mouth.
With a surge of mental power, he instantly invaded the general's mind.
The general, who was swinging his golf club, suddenly lost focus in his eyes. His hands naturally dropped. But soon, he regained his sharp expression.
However, anyone familiar with him would immediately notice—he was no longer the same.
Blaine slowly opened his eyes, pulled the hood of his Hunter Suit over his head, and got ready to leave the hotel.
Invading the mind of an ordinary person wasn't difficult for him. The challenge was multitasking—having thoughts of his own while simultaneously controlling another person's actions. If not for his current high level of mental power, this dual-task control would be impossible.
Meanwhile, the "general" put down the golf club, straightened his uniform, opened the door, and prepared to leave.
Along the way, the "general" passed by many agents and soldiers.
Every one of them saluted or greeted him upon sight.
Following the principle that "the more you say, the more mistakes you make," the "general" kept silent, eyes forward, heading straight for the back exit of the base.
"Open the door."
The "general's" cold voice rang out. The guard stationed at the back gate straightened up immediately. Though he didn't know what the general was planning, he opened the door without hesitation.
And at that moment...
A gust of wind seemed to pass through.
The "general" stared at the sandstorm outside, as if admiring the desert landscape.
After a long pause.
He withdrew his gaze. "Close it."
The "general" turned and walked back into the base.
No one would ever know that in that brief instant, someone had silently slipped into the "general's" shadow.
That person was Blaine.
He smiled slightly.
Controlling the "general," he began walking toward the center of the base—the location of Thor's Hammer—as if on a routine inspection.
And Blaine remained hidden in the general's shadow, following closely, never more than a step away, also heading toward Mjolnir.
The smile on Blaine's face grew wider.
Clearly, some skills are meant to be used in tandem to unleash their full potential.
Like [Mind Control lv.3] and [Shadow Stealth lv.3]. On their own, each has flaws. But together? They form a perfect stealth combo.
He continued to control the "general," drawing closer to Mjolnir.
Thor's Hammer was sealed inside a container. "Sealed" sounded fancy, but the truth was they simply couldn't move it—so they encased it in a layer of special bulletproof glass.
The entire "room" housing the hammer was built from this special glass, allowing for a 360-degree, unobstructed view.
Various instruments were placed all around.
Several scientists moved busily around the space.
The "general" under Blaine's control curled his lip in disdain.
Trying to analyze the energy contained in Thor's Hammer? Way too early for that.
After all, Mjolnir's core was forged from the heart of a star. Even though the star was dead, its remains were far beyond what Earthlings—who hadn't even explored their own planet's core—could comprehend.
"Open it."
The "general" walked up to the glass surrounding the hammer.
"General..."
The officer guarding the hammer was momentarily stunned.
"Open it."
The "general" repeated, this time with a sharp, threatening tone.
"Yes, sir!"
The officer quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet the general's gaze, and opened the glass case immediately.
Taking advantage of this instant, Blaine shot out of the shadow, reached for the hammer's handle, and pulled with force.
Damn it—just as expected, he couldn't lift it.
Blaine curled his lips but wasn't too disappointed. He never thought of himself as a noble or worthy person.
So, after confirming in an instant that he couldn't lift it:
'Store in Hunter Space!'
He silently gave the mental command.
Suddenly, the tangible feeling of the hammer's handle vanished from his hand.
The hammer disappeared before his eyes.
Inside the Hunter Space, Thor's Hammer had suddenly appeared.
'It actually worked!'
'System, you're f***ing amazing!'
Joy overflowed from Blaine's face as he slipped back into the shadow.
It sounds like a long sequence, but all of this happened in an instant—too fast for the human eye to catch.
After storing Mjolnir in the Hunter Space, Blaine immediately had the "general" leave the room.
Heading toward the perimeter of the base.
"Open the gate!"
Blaine controlled the "general" with great speed. Even though the base was large, he reached the gate within twenty seconds.
He ordered the guards to open the door.
"Yes, sir!"
The moment the gate opened...
Blaine let out a breath of relief, cut off his mental control, leapt out of the shadow, and disappeared into the wind like a wisp of air—vanishing from the base's weapon range in an instant.
As for the "general"—his mind had been controlled for too long. Overwhelmed with mental exhaustion, his eyes rolled back and he collapsed, unconscious.
"General!!"
At the same time...
The officer who had been too afraid to look up due to the general's earlier fury finally dared to glance forward.
That glance was a disaster.
His breath caught in his throat, and his face turned bright red.
"The hammer's been stolen!!!"
"The general fainted!!"
Two simultaneous shouts echoed across the base, plunging everything into chaos.
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